It has long been desired to provide panels and wall members having a simulated traditional colonial sand-finished masonry appearance. Such a finish has excellent decorative effects. In its proper form it has a rugged, roughened appearance which is unique. It has further been desired to provide panels and wall members with this finish or surface, which is extremely hard water-resistant, permanent and yet be easily and inexpensively produced.
Over the years, brick-wall construction has been the construction of choice in the building industry. It provides an excellent appearance, is relatively impervious to water and the ravages of weather and climate. It provides excellent thermal-insulating properties as well as durable construction. Brick-wall construction suffers from the disadvantage of being relatively expensive and time-consuming to produce. This disadvantage has become even more accentuated in recent years with the marked inflation in labor costs in the building trades. Indeed, the cost of brick-wall construction has now become so expensive, that its use is limited to preminum construction, such as banks and other buildings which can afford high costs.
Concrete block construction is relatively inexpensive, but it suffers from the disadvantages of being porous and lacking in the esthetic qualities, such as appearance, which makes brick-wall construction so advantageous. The building industry has long desired to have a wall construction which provides the excellent qualities and advantages of brick-wall construction while permitting relatively low costs of concrete block construction.
It is an object of the invention to provide a panel or wall construction comprised of a substrate having a facing on one or more surfaces of a resinous-filler composition to produce a decorative, serviceable surface thereon which simulates a traditional colonial sand finished masonry appearance.
It is an additional object of the invention to provide wall construction of building blocks having a facing of resinous-filler composition to produce a serviceable, rugged, rough, water-resistant surface which simulates a traditional colonial sand finished masonry appearance.
It is also an object of the invention to similate a traditional colonial sand finish masonry construction at little more than the cost of a block wall construction.
Another object of the invention is the provision of a panel or wall construction which has excellent surface properties of repelling water and moisture, while at the same time permitting the wall to "breathe" and permit diffusion of moisture from within to the exterior surface.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a wall construction which will not fade when exposed to weather and climatic conditions.